The Art of Racing in the Rain (by Garth Stein)

I just finished this book last week. It was for book club. I think at book club we spent approximately 5 minutes, maybe, talking about the book. But the point of book club is to drink wine and chat, didn't you know that? In any case, I liked the book. It was a book about a man and his family, told from the perspective of the man's dog - Enzo. Interesting and creative idea. At times I found myself forgetting that I was reading from the perspective of the dog. Very clever writing. The main guy - the owner of the dog - Denny Swift, is a race driver. Not a Nascar driver, but a race driver on courses around the world in fancy shmancy cars. The book uses the racing as an analogy to life throughout the book. Basically, the dog falls in love with the racing also. Denny meets a woman, gets married, has a kid, and it goes on from there. This book definitely had its sad moments (not quite as sad as Marley & Me where I bawled like a little girl at the end), but definitely sad. And it also deals with the struggle between your dreams and the realities of those dreams. All in all a good read. Especially if you like dogs. I'm a cat person myself, but I found this entertaining.

Up next: In Cold Blood (by Truman Capote) - I'm trying to mix in a few more classics into my reading repertoire.

Just Don't Call Me Ma'am: How I Ditched the South, Forgot My Manners, and Managed to Survive My Twenties with (Most of) My Dignity Still Intact (by Anna Mitchael)

I read this book in less than 24 hours. It was just that good. This is a non-fiction memoir about a chick named Anna (the author). She is in her late twenties. It was very witty and relatable. At times I felt like I was reading about my own life. She's a Texan, from Houston who moved from Boston to Seattle to New York. The book starts in her apartment in Brooklyn, and at the end of a relationship, and continues on from there. Its an introspective look at the mind of a late twenties woman who is forging on through adulthood. I thoroughly thoroughly enjoyed it, and cannot wait to discuss it at book club in a month!

Up next: Still reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, keep getting sidetracked, but plan on finishing it up soon!

A Space Between Us (by Thrity Umbrigar)

I just read this book for my June book club meeting. It took me a while to get through it, but it was interesting nonetheless. This book is set in India, Mumbai to be exact. This book is centered around two main characters - Bhima and Serabai. Bhima is a maid for Serabai and lives in the slums with her granddaughter Maya, and Serabai is a member of the middle class and lives in an apartment in a high rise building in Mumbai. The book details the two women's lives and how they intersect and effect one another. I learned a great deal in this book about the Indian culture and the class system. This book also deals with the power of ignorance in your life and how it can mold who you are and the decisions you make in your life. It also deal with the issue of prejudice, and how even if you care about someone so much, the prejudice you feel towards their class of people overrides any care you might feel for them. This is not a happy book. Its realistic and deals with difficult topics, including abortion (just to forewarn ya).

I won't lie and say that I didn't skim it the last 100 pages, mostly because I had only read half the day of our book club. But it is a good book, well written, and worthy of your time if you are looking for a more serious book.

Up next: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Next (by Steig Larssen)

In the Woods (by Tana French)

I just finished this book for book club (which meets tonight). This is a mystery novel, similar in a way to Steig Larrsons "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". I enjoyed this book, although it took me a while to get through (it might have been more of my busyness at work, then the book itself). It takes place in Ireland (Dublin and Knocknaree - a small town in Ireland). It was interesting to learn a lot about Ireland and the fictional police force that the author made up. This book follows two Murder Squad detectives, Cassie and "Rob" Ryan, as the seek to uncover who murdered a teenage girl in what is called "The Woods" located in Knocknaree Estate. Knocknaree also happens to be where "Rob" Ryan (the quoatation marks are added because his real name is Adam, which plays a key part in the book) grew up and was part of a disappearance of two of his best friends back in the 80s, a crime that is still unsolved. The book was a little heavily worded at times for my taste (I did some skimming of descriptions of things), but the dialogue was well written between the characters. The author does a good job of exploring the dynamics of a "partnership" between Rob and Cassie, and the role this partnership plays in each of their lives, and how one incident can cause repercussions for the rest of your life. I'm excited to discuss this book tonight at book club, and I recommend it to all those mystery lovers out there. The ending will surprise you and surely lead to discussions. I have mixed feelings about the ending, just to put that out there. Let me know what you think!

Rating: Could put down but enjoyed it while i was reading it.

Up next: Little Bee (by Chris Cleave)

The Story of Forgetting (by Stephen Merrill Block)

This book is very intellectually stimulating. The Story of Forgetting is mainly centered around early onset familial Alzheimers. But the way the Author tells the story makes it what it is. He weaves the stories of two men, one is in his 70s and the other is in his teens. Both men (or boys) experience the ramifications of alzheimers in their families in different ways. In the midst of these two separate stories, a sense of unity forms. This book details what alzheimers is, how it effects the mind, and the genetic contributions. It also details the human side of the disease, and its effect on the people it infects and the family members who care for those people. It is a tough book in the sense of the topic and how hard it is on the families, but it the story is presented in such a good way that it lessens the tragic effect of the disease. I recommend this book. I was particularly interested in it because of my psychology/neurology back ground from college, but I think anyone will enjoy this tale of two human spirits and the adversity they overcome.

Rating: CPD.

Up Next: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (by Stieg Larsson)

The Help (by Kathryn Stockett)

This was a great book, as is evidenced by the fact that it is a National Bestseller. This books concerns 1950s, Jackson, Mississippi. And is told from the perspective of three women - Miss Skeeter, Aibeleen, and Minny. The age range of characters in this book is primarily 23-30 year olds, and 50-60 year olds. This book centers around the interactions between women, whether black or white, whether friends or maids. It catalogues the relationship dynamics between all different types of women. It focuses also on the dynamics of the societal times during the 1950s and the different race relationships. It centers on a white woman, Miss Skeeter, who decides to write a book upon the urging of an editor in NYC. She decides to write the book about how "The Help" are treated in Jackson, Mississippi, and is helped by several maids/nannies in Jackson who contribute with their stories of working for women in Jackson. It was a well written book that gives a different perspective to the 1950s. I wasn't thrilled with the ending, but I understand why it was written the way it was. If you read the authors own personal story in the back of the book it makes a lot more sense why she chose to write about this topic.

Rating: Altogether good.

Up Next: The Story of Forgetting (by Stephen Block) (its for my book club).